Providing a second self-addressed envelope within a first envelope submitted to the addressee by the sender for purposes of paying a bill or receiving requested information by return mail in the enclosed envelope is a common business practice. The cost of manufacturing the enclosed or second envelope is an additional expense that must be borne by the sender or passed on by the customer in the form of higher prices. Furthermore, clerical personnel are required to expend considerable time and effort in completing the task of inserting the second envelope within the first envelope to be mailed to the addressee. Once the addressee receives the envelope from the sender, there exists the possibility that the addressee will overlook the enclosed envelope and subsequently dispose of it together with the first envelope. Consequently, the effort and expense exerted by the sendere in providing the addressee with a second envelope for return mailing is wasted. Also, the first envelope, once it is received and opened by the addressee, is no longer usable and becomes a waste item thereby presenting a disposal and litter problem.
Envelopes that can be snapped open are desirable because of the case with which they are opened. In the case of advertising material, for example, such easy opening envelopes encourage the receiver to open them. Often times, however snap-open envelopes do not work as well as originally intended. Snap-open envelopes can sometimes be misunderstood by the user. Frequently, the user will not read the instructions provided on the envelope. There is usually no readily available intrinsically informative information available as to how to properly open the envelope. Rather than reading directions, the user will open the envelope in typical fashion. Many times, snap-open envelopes do not snap open properly and will leave the user with a "unusable" reusable envelope.
Exemplary efforts to provide envelopes and mailing devices for multiple use are illustrated in several prior-art patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,618 describes a snap-open envelope in which the opposed ends are pulled apart to provide a portion which serves as an envelope and which has an end closure flap wherein instructions for use or notification can be applied to the flap and readily seen upon opening the original envelope. U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,528 describes a remailable envelope having a first panel with a gummed top flap narrower than the width of the envelope and another panel having a sealing flap which folds over onto the top flap and has adhesive spots thereon for securing the sealing flap to the exposed side areas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,696 describes a pre-stuffed mailing envelope that has a removable tear strip at one envelope end. U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,582 describes and envelope having a detachable top flap.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reusable envelope that provides a tab portion for the easy removal of the detachable section.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a reusable envelope that will cover the original stamping when being remailed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a reusable envelope that is easy to use and relatively easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.